Steve Sun & Anna Lee, Storm London

Last year was a big year for Storm co-founders Steve Sun and Anna Lee, who completely redefined their strategy to focus on the wholesale side of their family business.

Being open to change is a quality that the husband-and-wife team have always been keen to maintain – though it can of course be difficult at times. “It’s easy for us to be precious with our brand as it’s like our baby, and whilst that is needed at times, sometimes it’s good to go with the flow as this can often lead to positive surprises,” says Steve.

“Not only that, but things continuously evolve,” Anna continues. “What worked five years ago isn’t necessarily going to work today and so being open to new ideas and ways of doing things is key to success.”

This of course involves a lot of determination, and, for Anna, an ability to stay calm and think on her feet when things don’t go according to plan.

The hard work is certainly paying off – the brand’s international distribution network expanded to more than 10 new countries last year, and it enjoyed success in both the UK Jewellery Awards and the WatchPro Watches of the Year list. Now, the couple’s main objective is to strengthen brand identity, whilst staying true to the Storm ethos.

But business strategy isn’t the only thing that has been on Steve and Anna’s minds – they’ve also found the time to build a school for 100 children in Yunnan, China. “We wanted to give something back,” says Steve, “and we felt blessed that we were in a position to be able to help these deprived children who had a bleak future without the opportunity of an education in their remote area.”